The decay of the Nigerian educational system

My heart bleeds my jaw drops and I am transfixes with horror like a statue in the middle of an ever-flowing stream whenever I imagine how examination candidates perpetuate examination malpractices. This is a sad development more so these perpetrators, aiders and abettors eat vulture with impunity. The government officials in the educational sector sit by as if they were sightless. This is sorry case. It Is a pain in the neck.
For know exam is the only index of proficiency to measure the standard of academic level of a candidate. Though this may be inadequate, it is still the surest way to access the student academic prowess.
Sadly, the centrifugal force has made the country to fade in the academic circle. Developed and international communities have tagged our graduates as half-baked thus making our certificates worthless.
Why is this so? Why is our academic level on the leeward trend? How many culprits are languishing in jail in for exam malpractice? Why are our doctors butchers instead of surgeons?
It is an attempt to answer these questions that the Nigerian case is like a riddle wrapped in enigma. Parents and teachers “co-operate “ to ensure the success of these candidates. At the higher-level students buy mouth-watering gifts for lecturers to pass their courses. Female undergraduates resort to sleeping with their stone faced lecturers to avoid the big stick if the fail to dance to their rhythm. Some male students who are in low waters sneak in answers scribbled on pieces of paper into the exam halls. Impersonation has become the order of the day. Examination officials are worse. They organize question-solving groups to help students pass their examination in flying colors. All these will result into the acute cheating for the brilliant ones. Meritocracy has been sacrificed at the altar of corruption. There is revulsion of hard work. Thus the hard workers are in the abyss of frustration since their hard work is not given any expression. In the end brain drain will come in and our brightest will travel abroad to seek greener pastures/
For Nigeria to regain her academic glory, those that whiter than white should be employed as examination officials. Jumbo pay should be their lot. Above all sword of Damocles should hand on offenders by bringing them to book. Any culprit should face the music, as a deterrent to would be –culprit. Teachers should be paid ‘take home pay that can take them home’. They are disillusioned and disenchanted. Without out mincing words the government of the day is the cause of the downfall of education in Nigeria they are; unfair as regards the way they treat the Nigerian teachers especially the university lecturers. If all these are done, Nigeria will not only be revered academically, but will also avoid the ricochet of cataclysms cropping up from this ugly monster. Or what could you say about a graduate that has a B.Sc in economics and cannot differentiate between “needs” and “demand”? What of a graduate of English language that cannot pronounce “sociology”? That is why Nigeria formerly a giant is now a dwarf in the sphere of education, inter-alia. Or do we call her a giant –dwarf? If nothing is done to redeem our academic image internationally, then we Nigerians are headed towards disaster.

What is real about Obama McCain, Biden and Palin?

Nowadays Africans in Diaspora are seriously blogging and analyzing, discussing and almost every minute of the day about senators Barack Obama, john McCain, Joe Bidden, African journalist m writers and commentators on the continent of Africa cannot wait dish out articles and commentaries about Obama, and the American government. To demonstrate that to demonstrate that they are within the loop some African leaders, especially Nigerian leaders, have joined the analyses with such bust of energy –analyzing and discussing about the real obama. Indeed we have become the pundits and the intelligent analysts of these candidates, often claiming, with impunity and courage, to know them more than typical Americans. It is good that we showing some level of involvement. However an in-depth glossed over the main subject matter: what is real about these candidates. It is therefore important that we dig deep into what is real about these candidates, and draw crucial lessons from it. What is real about Obama McCain, Biden and Palin, we claim to “know”, is that they have no bank account in any African country for that matter. They never purchased any piece of property in Tunisia or Niger and probably never will. There is a lesson to learn from this knowledge. Their patriotic decision to invest their money in their country, USA, is rooted in what leadership is all about, namely,”my people first”. Those who understand American government know that these candidates would not dream of running for any political office in America if there is any slightest doubt that they might have opened an account in Nigeria or Ghana, for instance. So they wisely invest their own money in their own country, the USA. Their investment continues to develop and improve American economy. What is real about Obama McCain, Biden and Palin, we claim to “know” that they never flew to any African country for medical treatment or check up. They never sent their relatives abroad for any medical treatment. In addition they never wanted their kids to be born in any African. On the contrary several African leaders rush their pregnant wives abroad to have their babies. Is this an act of patriotism? No it is not. What is real about Obama McCain, Biden and Palin, we claim to “know”, is that they invested their money in their country’s education and as such will never send their ward s to study abroad or in Nigeria. These candidates know that education is civilization, and a country without a sound education will never see the light of civilization. They invest in their almamaters, sponsor through scholarships and grants the under privileged students in their own universities. On the other hand our African leaders do not hesitate to send their children abroad to study with the money they have stolen from the nations pocket, they do not invest in the education of their country. You should not be surprised if the minister of education does not have any of his children in any school in his country, the situation is that bad. In conclusion the politicians in Africa are not patriotic neither are they worthy of their position, so African are praying to God to show his mercy and give to Africa a leader that will lead them to the promised land.

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WHAT DOES PRISON LABOUR IN AFRICA MEAN

Is work for prisoners a privilege to save them from the demoralizing effects and misery of endless unoccupied hours? Is it something added to prison to make to make it harder and more unpleasant, or something, which should have a positive value as part of rehabilitation? Those magistrates who clung to sentences f hard labour doubtlessly look upon strenuous work as an additional punishment. This point of view is often widely as right and proper, but it ignores the fact that unwillingness to work is often one of the immediate causes of criminality. To send prisoners to the outside world, more convinced that labour is evil and to be avoided, is to confirm them in their old way of life. It has been said that the purpose of prison work in a program of rehabilitation is twofold; training for work and training by work. The prisoner, that is to say, needs to be trained in the habit of industry; but over and above this, the prisoner will gain immeasurable if it is possible to rouse in him the consciousness of self-mastery and of purpose that the completion of any worthwhile piece of work can give the doer. He may find a pride of achievement in something more satisfying, and more socially desirable, than crime. But these things can only come when the work itself has a purpose and demands an effort.

WHY INCONSISTENCY IN AFRICAN POLICY FORMULATION

Of all the banes confronting the economies of developing nations, not in the least, in point of candor, the fact of inconsistency in policy formulation. This inevitably flux in policy is not usually unconnected with the perpetually unstable government. Thus, a policy is dies with the exit of its proponent.
A seminal policy in Lagos state, Nigeria that may soon face extinction is the use of crash helmets and the unequivocal clamp down on illegal structures. This has no doubt engendered malice, backbiting and even open animosity towards the powers that be in the state. An in-depth venture into the claim of this policy will no doubt extricate the government from the acerbic criticism leveled against it .the need for demolition in Lagos cannot be over-emphasized. Indeed, it’s a step symptomatic of government’s foresight and spirited iconoclastic temper. The state has hitherto been unduly overcrowded, thus making life unbearable for residents and visitors. Land sellers and buyers are irredeemably way-ward that Lagos beach is ready to occupy a private estate of stinking rich millionaire. Lately, the state and its residents now heave a sigh of relief, as stumbling blocks are being bull-dozed. The fear as earlier pointed out is the threat on sustainability.

AFRICA AND WORLD POLITICS

Africa in a way corresponding to her vital statistics on the map of the world carries a question mark in her heart. This is a question within herself, and a question about her to the rest of the world. The reason for the question is that Africa is just passing through the birth-throes of a new life. She has suffered for centuries. Her illness has been written of as chronic and her sickness as sick as that unto death or, at best, something that would leave her more dead than alive. She has suffered so much because she has been callously and frequently raped and despoiled by the strong ones of this world who adepts in the art of benevolent exploitation and civilized savagery. Even now there are organs of her body, which are under torture and cruel assault, and consequently, she is still more or less a sick personality. Nevertheless, she is not without friends. There have been those who have been given their lives, their time, or their substance in order to heal her ‘open sore’, which have various manifestations. Such friends are still few and far between, and the quality of friendship is often a baffling question.

There are those who have graciously given her a place in the newly imagined ‘third world’ which stands in contrast to the ‘first world’ of Europe and the ‘second world’ of America. Even those are divided in their attitude towards her: should be accorded the title of corporate personality worthy in her own right to stand on equal footing with any other continent? Is she not still too immature or crude to be recognized fully as a sister continent? And her sons and daughters, whatever their education, achievement, or status, would they ever be admitted across the subtle but palpable line of demarcation which separates the elder (the stronger world) from the younger (the weaker world ‘coloured world’ ones)? One thing is certain is that while there are die-hard enemies of her life because they think that her death or chronic infantilism is of benefit to them, she is an unfailing fund of condescending patronage and generous patronage. Where she behaves her self according to prescription and accepts inferior position, benevolence, which becomes her poverty, is assured, and for this she shows her self deeply and humbly grateful. If for any reason she takes into her head to be self-assertive and claim footing a of equality, then she brings upon herself a frown; she is called names; she is persecuted openly or by indirect means; she is helped to be divided against herself.